The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-13
The Way to Give.

Inc way 20 UlSos
As I was riding one Sabbath with. a
farmer to church, we fell into converse.
tion on the subject of giving. He was
an elder in the Presbyterian Church,
man between fifty and sixty years of age.
Said he, 81 give tenth of all I make to
the Lord. Every crop of corn, every
load of hay, every dozen of eggs I sell, ]
keep account of, and one-tenth of the
profit goes 10 the Lord. 1t seems rather
hard at FIRST; but all that is past long
ago. Now I have only to distribute
what is already given. I am ready to
listen to any reasonable application, and
if think it good object, it is nothing
but a pleasure to give. That tenth, !
have come to feel, belongs to God. ]
never touch it. should as soon think
of spending my neighbours money as
that"
About the same time met the pastor
of this man. Said he, "That farmer is
not only the largest giver, but the most
cheerful giver in my parish. Ipreach in
two churches. He helps literally in
sustaining both, and the money he gives
is the least of the blessings he brings to
u.s."
Some time after this was conversing
with friend In Chicago, a young busi-
ness man, on the same subject. eyes"
said he, 81 determined when I wss
clerk, the first year that earned any
thing for myself, that l would set aside
affixed percentage of my income for be-
nevolence. I made the resolution, and
l have kept it."
"Well, you began carly" I remarked.
$50 did," was the reply, ''and it was
we'll did. My salary was small, andI to
give the proportion liked upon was hard !;
but there has never been year since
when it would not have been harder. A
wear or two after I went into business
for mysc,f; it looked as though every
cent was needed for capital. / am afraid
I shouldn't have commenced the system
that year. But having resolved and
made a beginning already, I was
ashamed te retreat. Then, the year
after I was married. That year should
have begged of, am sure, if it had not
been for the habit, by that time pretty
we'll settled. That carried me through.
Soon after came our big fire; then hard
times, epizootics; in fact, almost every
year, something to make that particular
year bal one to begin. Now, l always
say to my friends, ''Begin to give as
soon as you begin to make; start carly"
I do not c,r;ainly know what portion OF
his income the young merchant gives.
| Probably tenth; not less, l am sure.
So here in Cleveland. A young man
just beginning his business life came to
me alone few evenings since, and said,
81 like this idea of giving regular pre-
portion, and I'm going to begin now. I
think I'll give tenth. This year that
; will be five hundred dollars. It looks
like good deal to give away; and my
business is growing; it will be more yet,
I expect, next year; but it. the right
way. My old Bib e-class teacher used
to talk to us boys about it, and Pm going
10 10 it."-tR.v. Arthur Mitchell. D. D.
They that are in God, being united to
him through Christ, can never by any
power be separated from him. Death,
that is the great discover of all other
unions, civil and natural, is so far from
untying this, that it consummatcs it; it
CONVEYS the soul into the nearest and
fullest enjoyment of God, who is its life
where it shall not need to desire as it
were from distance; it shall then be at
the sprng-hcad, and shall be satisfied
with His love forever.-[A Archbishop
Leighton.
Great Question of the Age.